Un Croque Monsieur and University

We visited the University in Nantes last week, and, as is my proclivity, I only took pictures of my food.  Above is what is known as a Croque Monsieur. That is ham, with cheese on bread with another piece of cheese on top, cooked so the cheese in the center is nice and gooey and the cheese on the top is melted and oh so yummy. Next to it was a nice salad, with a vinaigrette that wasn't bad. And carrots. I like carrots, but they were rather tasteless, as carrots have the tendency to be.

Hot chocolate. Is amazing here, like molten chocolate with fresh cream. Yum.

The French system is different then the American one in a lot of ways. Some that I like and some that I think don;t prepare the French as well for the global world, in my opinion. The thing I like the most is that it costs, on average, with fees and things about 300 euros a year, that's roughly 400 american dollars. The University of St. Thomas is roughly 33,000 a year, according to its website, while the University of Minnesota is 24,000 a year, according to their site. The French, tax their rich at a much more extreme rate than the US, as high as 75% for those who make over seven figures. (Personally I still think what they end up with is a lot.) While the highest income tax for the US is 35%. But what do I know about money? Other than that American education is eatting most of mine.

This is a Bounty Bar, it's like a Mound Bar, but with Milk chocolate. I dunked it in my hot chocolate.

I however, do not like the specialization that happens in French education. Although most the people I know complain about taking 'Liberal Education Requirements' but in France you can't take something other than your major. As a double major, I would not be able to do that. I would have to choose history or French not both. All of my classes would either have to be History or French. And, the worst part, I wouldn't be able to be in band. That would be the worst thing in the world.So there are somethings that I like about the French system and somethings that I don't care for at all.

This is a galette des roi, a cake of the kings. The French use it to celebrate epiphany. (This wasn't the same day but I got a picture that corresponds with the story, so just bare with me). Anyway, the group had to do a meet and great with the French/English Alliance of Nantes. (Since IES is pretty much a nonprofit, it makes sense that we are obliged to meet some probably old French People) All of the people were really nice, and listened to us even though our French wasn't that awesome. But the main even was the eatting of man galettes. In the middle of the galette there is a thing, a favor, that if found makes you the queen or the king of the night. It is customary for the person who finds the favor to find a king or queen besides them.

I did not find a favor in my piece. However, I was standing next a friend who did. He got his crown, and then came back to the corner in which we had been hiding. In the previous three times I had consumed a galette I had found the favor. I told this to my friends, and probably in wrong words, sad I was slightly sad that I didn't find one this time. So my friend, nice as he is let me be his queen. So I got a crown headband. Très chouette.

That night I come home to find this in my room. Ma Mère d’accueil (host mother) had done the laundry and set my socks out to dry on the heater. It was a lovely thing to do. And for some reason just made me extremely happy.